LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Anna Brinkmann was just two kills off of her career high as the senior outside hitter tallied 21 terminations in Northern Kentucky's four-set win (11-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 ) over South Dakota. The win moves the Norse to 2-1 on the season, while the Coyotes start the year at 0-1.
  
STATS LEADERS 

• Brinkmann tallied 12 digs to go with her 21 kills for her second-straight double-double and 29^th of her career. She hit .333 on the afternoon with only four attack errors.
• Joy Banks rattled off 12 kills, hitting .267.
• Katy Yopko orchestrated the offense with 22 assists, while Miranda Wucherer added 20.
• Anna Burke led the back row with 14 scoops.
• Abby Kanakry contributed seven kills off of 15 swings.
• Lillian Leiner also registered double-figure digs for the second-straight match with 10.

 
FIRST SET SUMMARY   

• South Dakota dominated the first set 25-11, as the Norse struggled to find rhythm offensively.
• NKU registered six kills, but committed eight hitting errors as South Dakota recorded six blocks in the set.
• The Coyotes notched nine kills and didn't commit an error, while also out-serving the Norse 5-0 in aces.

 
SECOND SET SUMMARY   

• Kanakry started NKU off with a termination and then Brinkmann took over with four kills, a solo block and an ace in registering six Norse points in a row and leading them to an 8-4 lead.
• South Dakota eventually called timeout trailing, 15-10, and ran all the way back to take a 22-20 lead
• Northern Kentucky used a Coyote service error, another solo block from Brinkmann and a Brinkmann termination to pull back in front.
• Wucherer served up an ace coming out of South Dakota's second timeout and, following a point from the Coyote's, Brinkmann put away her eighth kill of the set.
• Brinkmann accounted for 11 on NKU's points.
• The Norse finished the frame with 13 kills and just three errors (.323 hitting percentage), while the Coyotes hit .226 thanks to 13 kills and six errors.

 
THIRD SET SUMMARY 

• The early portion of the third set saw Brinkmann continue her run with three kills to help NKU build an 11-5 lead. Hunt, Wucherer and Banks contributed kills during the spurt as well.
• Similar to the second set, South Dakota whittled away and pulled within three at 21-18, but Northern Kentucky scored the next two points on a termination from Kanakry and hitting error by the Coyotes.
• NKU closed out the set, 25-21, posting 14 kills and just four errors. South Dakota nearly matched the Norse with 13 terminations, but committed eight hitting errors.

 
FOURTH SET SUMMARY 

• Banks got on a roll early with three terminations in the team's first eight points. She finished the set with six total kills.
• South Dakota jumped out to leads of 7-5 and 10-8, but with the set tied at 13-all Northern Kentucky reeled off six-consecutive points to take command. Brinkmann started the rally with a kill and back-to-back aces, Banks added two kills and Hunt and Reilly Briggs teamed for a block.
• The Norse offense exploded for 16 kills and just four errors in the stanza. The Coyotes recorded 11 kills and five errors.

 
MATCH NOTES   

• Brinkmann's 21 kills are the second most she's posted in a match and is the third 20-kill performance of her career. She set her career-mark of 23 kills in NKU's five-set win against Cincinnati in 2019.
• Banks reached double-digit kills for the first time in her brief Norse career. She has now increased her kill total and hitting percentage each time out.
• Northern Kentucky increased its kill total in every set on the day, going from six to 13 to 14 to 16 in the decisive fourth set.
• NKU finished the match hitting .229, while South Dakota hit just .182.
• With Burke, Brinkmann and Leiner all securing double-figure scoops, the Norse held a 58-52 advantage in digs.

  
NEXT UP 
Northern Kentucky squares off against Missouri on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 3:30 p.m.